Latest on Starr

Silverstein reports slow improvement from recent strokes. There's not a single Packers fan who doesn't hope for the best for the Starrs. I hope his recovery is sufficient for him to be at least one more standing ovation in Lambeau. That one would last at least 5 minutes.

HRE, I've written my last bad word against 4. If Bart and Cherry Starr are ok with him, so am I.
Bart was the heart and soul of the Packers that won 5 Championships. The work that he does for troubled boys is admirable. He is a very, very good man.

I am not so magnanimous. I believe that if Murphy and the Board are so h*ll bent on retiring #4 before the HOF induction, with Favre needing to be on the field to accept that great honor, then all parties concerned should man-up and not have Favre come forward under the protective wing of Bart Starr's legacy.

It's always fair to measure the good with bad. If Favre walks out alone to a mixture of cheers and boos, with maybe some stuff thrown on the field, that's fair. That would be an accurate representation of his legacy, the gunslinger with the uncluttered mind bringing glory but who eventually fell victim to his vanity. It's the NFL version of a Greek tragedy.

But this is about myth-making, hero worship and revisionist history. A fair and balanced view has nothing to do with it...the good is supposed to make us forget the bad.

Even though we can't fully know public people, if I had to bet all I have on which one truly possesses the most class, it would be Bart Starr. Unless he knows nothing about Favre's personal life and actions after "retiring" in 2008, it is hard to fathom him initiating this.

Even though we can't fully know public people, if I had to bet all I have on which one truly possesses the most class, it would be Bart Starr. Unless he knows nothing about Favre's personal life and actions after "retiring" in 2008, it is hard to fathom him initiating this.

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I can't take credit for that for that turn of phrase. I'm not certain, but I believe the phrase caught my ear while watching "A Football Life: Roger Staubach" that aired recently.

Clint Longley led a dramatic comeback in relief of an injured Roger Staubach on Thanksgiving Day 1974 that included, among other remarkable feats, a 50 yard Hail Mary to win the game. Since Longley was not known to be the sharpest knife in the drawer and was unprepared to play, his performance was "unconscious" in both the good and bad senses of the word.

Dallas offensive lineman Blaine Nye quipped that Longley's performance was "the triumph of the uncluttered mind."

Two years later, Longley sucker punched Staubach in the locker room and then literally ran out of the building never to return.

Nye was a very bright guy, as you might suspect. He went on to found the Stanford Consulting Group specializing in economic analysis and securities litigation.

I seriously doubt Starr was the initiator. Given that Favre has made at least one appearance for his charity, there appears to be some "taking one for the team" quid pro quo.

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I can't believe you'd make such a contention. For Starr to "take one for the team" implies that he would be going against his own conscience. That is a peculiar form of dishonesty and Bart Starr is a man with FAR too much integrity to engage in such a thing. So the very fact that he supports Favre is a testament to his magnanimous nature and shame to anyone who judges Brian Bartlett Starr to be a sell-out.

Silverstein reports slow improvement from recent strokes. There's not a single Packers fan who doesn't hope for the best for the Starrs. I hope his recovery is sufficient for him to be at least one more standing ovation in Lambeau. That one would last at least 5 minutes.

My greatest hope is to see him on the field at least one more time. However, at 80 years old and having had both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, it's unlikely he will ever be the same man physically that he was 6 months ago. It's very possible his next appearance on the mid-field G could be in a wheelchair, though I think it will happen either way.

I can say one thing for certain. Whenever his day comes, if there is a publicly open viewing, I will drive to Alabama to be there. And even if there's not a public viewing, I will be among the throng lining the streets en route to his final resting place wearing my #15 jersey, wiping the tears from my eyes. I imagine a great number of other Packer fans from around the country will be there too. The world will know exactly how beloved he is, even more so than Lombardi. I pray this day is many years down the road and that he is able to live those years happily.

Latest update does not sound good at all. The "cognitive ability" comment from Cherry is most concerning. He may have already made his last appearance in front of the Lambeau crowd. It's hard to say how much he has lost or the status of his ability to process, but I would not want to see him escorted out there if he doesn't have a full comprehension of what is going on. The fact that he hasn't made any statements of his own since this happened and all information is coming from his family leads me to believe he is probably incapable of doing so. I would think by now, if he was able, he would have made some kind of brief re-assuring statement, much like a player being carted off on a back board giving the crowd a thumbs up.

Unfortunately, at his age, the brain just doesn't have as much plasticity as it once did in response to trauma and far more intensive cognitive rehab is required to re-gain that function, if at all. If memories have been destroyed, he can re-gain some of that by showing him articles and watching himself in old game footage but it will be like seeing himself from our perspective. But before bothering with any of that, it is far more important for him to re-gain his family identity than his Packer identity. I hope he hasn't lost any of those memories, but many CVA victims do.

If anyone still needs any perspective in order to get over the NFCC two weeks ago, here you go.

Latest update does not sound good at all. The "cognitive ability" comment from Cherry is most concerning. He may have already made his last appearance in front of the Lambeau crowd. It's hard to say how much he has lost or the status of his ability to process, but I would not want to see him escorted out there if he doesn't have a full comprehension of what is going on. The fact that he hasn't made any statements of his own since this happened and all information is coming from his family leads me to believe he is probably incapable of doing so. I would think by now, if he was able, he would have made some kind of brief re-assuring statement, much like a player being carted off on a back board giving the crowd a thumbs up.

Unfortunately, at his age, the brain just doesn't have as much plasticity as it once did in response to trauma and far more intensive cognitive rehab is required to re-gain that function, if at all. If memories have been destroyed, he can re-gain some of that by showing him articles and watching himself in old game footage but it will be like seeing himself from our perspective. But before bothering with any of that, it is far more important for him to re-gain his family identity than his Packer identity. I hope he hasn't lost any of those memories, but many CVA victims do.

If anyone still needs any perspective in order to get over the NFCC two weeks ago, here you go.

I consider Bart Starr the all time greatest person associated with the Packers. Class personified. But two strokes, four seizures and a heart attack is a lot for anyone to overcome, let alone an 80-year old. It's a very sad fact of life that you can lose your life before you die. The "cognitive ability" comment may be an indication that's happening with Bart, but what a life he's led.

I recall there was a press conference during his rather poor coaching tenure and Starr read a quote, not sure by who, something about, if you've stood in the ring, you can talk, if you haven't, you have no right to open your yap... i think those same things when people attack players PERFORMANCE on a personal level. I think Bart Starr is respected, because he GAVE so much respect to others.

I consider Bart Starr the all time greatest person associated with the Packers. Class personified. But two strokes, four seizures and a heart attack is a lot for anyone to overcome, let alone an 80-year old. It's a very sad fact of life that you can lose your life before you die. The "cognitive ability" comment may be an indication that's happening with Bart, but what a life he's led.

A greater man than he was a QB.
And that, my friends, is saying something.

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I agree, to me he is the absolute first person I think of as the face of the Packers. And his contributions beyond the game are great. I can only hope that his family can feel how loved and respected this man is. By so many. Hopefully that can give them comfort through this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with you Mr. Starr.